Feisty Hollywood actresses go back a long way. Watching a seductive performance can bring back the spark in one’s dreary love life. If routine has ground the relationship to a halt, one can light romance fires by learning from these classic actresses. Of course, the best way to imitate these actresses is to watch the movie (alone), let the magic sink in, then practise the act on one’s partner.
It will not be easy at first, and mostly likely will end in heaps of laughter. But celebrating Valentine’s Day is all about having fun – why take it so seriously? A bit of suspended disbelief can make a Valentine’s Day evening that much more enchanting.
Rita Hayworth & Marlene Dietrich: Dance the Night away
Rita Hayworth, the redhead who took Hollywood by storm, is a great example of a feisty female. Other famous redhead actresses include Susan Hayward and Katharine Hepburn. Rita Hayworth had a dance background, and outrageously flaunts her sexuality in a mesmerising striptease in Gilda. Singing “Put the Blame on Mame, Boys”, Rita Hayworth rolls off only one glove, but it is her boldness and attitude that screams sexy.
Another dance example is The Blue Angel (Der Blaue Engel), the film that got Marlene Dietrich noticed. A gorilla climbs onto the stage, and to the beat of thumping drums, removes limb and layer to reveal a beautiful, shining woman underneath. What makes the cabaret dance so titillating is how Marlene Dietrich avoids grovelling to the audience. In fact, in her films she often keeps the cards close to her chest.
This Valentine’s Day, a woman who dances for her partner could find it freeing and rewarding. If one sings well one could add a silken tune, like Rita Hayworth in her films.
Sophia Loren & Brigitte Bardot: Continental Charm
Another way to make the evening exotic is to lay on continental glamour. Non-Europeans may find this a challenge, but it can be as easy as trying an accent. All in the name of fun of course – the more mistakes the cheerier. European women are always polished because of their soft-spokenness. Brigitte Bardot’s bedroom hair and flicked eyeliner look dishevelled but she speaks with a sensual delivery. Why not go avant-garde and read a poem with a French accent, like Bardot in Contempt?
Or try a traditional European method by following the example of Sophia Loren. Loren herself believes sexiness comes from interaction whilst in a state of mind. One can integrate European charm by dimming the lights, enjoying wine and classical opera before inviting one’s partner in. Marilyn Monroe in Some Like It Hot tries this method on uptight ‘Junior’ (Tony Curtis) before planting her kiss. Other foreign films include: La Dolce Vita, Belle du Jour and Mata Hari.
Audrey Hepburn & Vivien Leigh: Sparkle & Experiment!
Inquisitive minds are a sign of youth, and therefore fertility. Men cannot resist ingénues like Audrey Hepburn or Vivien Leigh. Audrey Hepburn’s wide-eyed curiosity makes her a fun frisky companion in films like Breakfast at Tiffany’s and Roman Holiday. Blogger Alias Clio describes the ingenue as a female in “continual, graceful, coltish motion….She talks a lot.”
But she is always willing to experiment, a good lesson to learn. And if one idea does not succeed, it is not the end of the world. Vivien Leigh as Scarlett O’Hara from Gone with the Wind never says die – she is always up for something new.
The Inner Goddess
Valentine’s Day is a good time to bring out one’s inner sex goddess. Classic film actresses described here, could inspire something different for 14th February!
Sources:
Gilda. Jon, Projections: What Latin America Tells Us at the Movies, 8 October, 2005.
Sophia Loren’s Sexy Secrets. Annette Dasy, 29 January, 2008.
Heartbreakers 7: The Eternal Ingenue (revised). Alias Clio, The Other World Blog, 11 July 2008.
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Lynette S.K. Webster - Copywriter turned Freelance Writer Copywriter for 4 years in Singapore, writing radio, print, TV and recruitment ads for national radio ...
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